The Celica's styling is based on Toyota's XYR concept car (for Xtreme, Youthful, Racy), which made the rounds at major auto shows a few years ago. The Celica's 102.3-inch wheelbase is long for a compact coupe, and its front and rear overhangs are short. That long wheelbase with short overhangs emphasizes the Celica's athletic appearance. Designers at Toyota's southern California studio drew inspiration from Toyota's racing program. The channel down the Celica's hood is supposed to recall the needle nose of an open-wheel race car. The long, vertical headlights are intended to suggest the endplates of a race car's front wing. A mesh grille, new for 2002, adds a note of brutal functionality.
The racecar cues are subtle. However, the Celica's blend of organic curves and razor-sharp edges is anything but subtle. These contrasts aren't necessarily clean or elegant, but they are dramatic and by no means ugly. Celica's striking headlights make it look expensive. The Celica's styling is particularly bold by Toyota's usually edgeless, conservatively industrial standards. Next Page